Yams or sweet potatoes make a wonderful breakfast biscuit popular in Cajun country. Leftover biscuits can be wrapped in plastic, then unwrapped and reheated for 4 to 5 minutes in a hot oven.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large or 2 small yams or sweet potatoes (1/2 cup baked and mashed)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cups milk
Preparation:
Bake and mash the yams. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the shortening and mashed yams with an electric beater (at medium-low speed) or a whisk, until they are evenly distributed and the mixture appears light and crumbly (about 2 minutes). Gradually add the milk, continuing to mix just until the ingredients are evenly dampened; do not beat.Flour a marble pastry surface or board and turn the contents of the bowl out onto it. Knead lightly for about 30 to 45 seconds, just until a slightly moist, streaky looking dough is formed. Roll out gently to a thickness of 3/4 inch and cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter. As the biscuits are cut, place them about 1-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased heavy baking sheet. Pat the leftover pieces of dough together gently with your hands and again roll out lightly, as indicated above. Cut the remaining biscuits from the patted-together dough. If necessary, pat any leftover dough together once again, then roll out and cut, until all the dough is used up.
Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 450-degree F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly browned on top and appear flaky. Set to cool for about 5 minutes on a cake rack. Serve warm, with butter.
Yield: 1 dozen
Recipe Source: The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin (Alfred A. Knopf)
Reprinted with permission.
